Austrians rejoice JJ bringing house first Eurovision win in 11 years

Austrians have been on Sunday celebrating JJ, an Austrian-Filipino countertenor lauded for “singing Austria into the spotlight” after bringing house the rustic’s first Eurovision track contest victory in 11 years with a track that provides a nod to each the rustic’s wealthy operatic heritage and fashionable track.

JJ, 24, hit all of the proper notes with Wasted Love, an operatic ballad about unrequited love that mutates right into a techno membership anthem. The 69th version of the competition was once hosted in Basel, Switzerland.

The win was once Austria’s 3rd within the historical past of the contest, following drag performer Conchita’s good fortune in 2014 and Udo Jürgens’ win in 1966.

“It’s wonderful to have this victory, 11 years after Conchita,” mentioned Micaela Taroni, an Austrian-Italian correspondent in Rome for the Austrian press company APA. “JJ won because of his vocal qualities. He’s a countertenor, so reaches the high notes. He was an outsider, but one who encompasses musical modernity with Austria’s rich operatic tradition.”

JJ, whose actual identify is Johannes Pietsch, received forward of Israel’s Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October assaults via Hamas militants on southern Israel that killed 1,200 other folks and took 251 hostage, and resulted in Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza during which an estimated 53,000 Palestinians have thus far died.

As with 2024, Israel’s inclusion on the earth’s greatest track festival, which was once watched via greater than 160 million other folks internationally, sparked protests.

Demonstrations have been held in Basel previous on Saturday night time and a Eurovision workforce member was once hit via paint after two pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to hurry on degree as Raphael sang New Day Will Rise.

A spokesperson for Israeli broadcaster Kan mentioned Raphael was once “shaken and upset” via the protesters.

Many of the 200 protesters in Basel wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and carried indicators declaring: “No music for murder”, “Stop genocide” and “Singing while Gaza burns”.

Some burned massive Israeli and US flags and others despatched pink and inexperienced smoke into the air, in line with the AFP information company.

Pro-Palestinian marches have been additionally held all through the day in main towns all over the world in protest towards Israel’s intensified bombardment of Gaza and its enforced blockades of meals and different humanitarian provides.

In 3rd position within the festival was once Estonia’s Tommy Cash with Espresso Macchiato, a track poking amusing at Italian stereotypes that each riled and enthused Italians.

After being introduced together with his winner’s trophy in Basel, JJ thanked his electorate and known as for “more love” on the earth.

He mentioned Wasted Love, which he co-wrote with Teodora Špirić and Thomas Turner, was once supposed to provide listeners an perception into his private ideas.

“There’s no wasted love. Love is never wasted,” he added. “There’s so much love that we can spread around, and we should use love as the strongest force on planet Earth.”

JJ’s good fortune was once applauded via the Austrian chancellor, Christian Stocker, who mentioned the singer was once writing musical historical past.

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria’s overseas minister, wrote on X: “Dear JJ, you have moved Europe with your voice and sung Austria into the spotlight.”

The Philippine consulate normal in Frankfurt additionally issued a message of congratulations to JJ on Facebook.

“What an incredible moment – Filipino pride on the European stage!” she mentioned.

Austria will now host subsequent yr’s contest. JJ, who returned house on Sunday, mentioned he would love the development to be held in Vienna, the place he was once born.

Once once more, the Eurovision track contest was once pitiful for the United Kingdom’s contenders, who got here 19th out of a imaginable 26 and won nul issues within the public vote for his or her accurately named track, What The Hell Just Happened?

In the general, all collaborating nations get two units of votes – one from a jury comprising track professionals and one from the general public throughout Europe, who can vote via telephone, textual content or the Eurovision app.

A rating of 12 is awarded to the most well liked act, 10 to the second-placed one, and the remaining in a rustic’s most sensible 10 scored from 8 to 1.

Despite the setback, Remember Monday, a trio comprising Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, mentioned the competition had given them recollections “that will last a lifetime”.

The band, the United Kingdom’s first girl staff entrant since 1999, won 88 issues from the nationwide juries, together with a beneficiant 12 issues from Italy, which final received the contest in 2021 with the now well-known rock band Måneskin.

“Wow – what a ride,” Remember Monday mentioned in a remark. “Three best mates walked on to the world’s biggest music stage and came out with a top 10 jury score, massive streaming numbers and memories that will last a lifetime.”

The UK, in the meantime, gave its most sensible public vote of 12 issues to Israel, even supposing the British jury awarded no issues to Raphael’s track.

Thirty-seven nations entered the competition and 26 made it to the general. The semi-finals threw up some surprises. Australia, which has competed in Eurovision since 2015, unusually did not qualify with Go-Jo’s innuendo-laden Milkshake Man.

There have been nonetheless quite a few risque songs on be offering, together with Miriana Conte, who needed to trade the lyrics of her track Serving to take away a connection with the Maltese phrase for making a song – “kant” – because of having an glaring resemblance to an English swear phrase. Despite it being a fan favorite, it scored poorly with the broader public.

In Finland’s access, Ich Komme via Erika Vikman, her track many times introduced that she was once coming, and he or she ended her efficiency hoisted up on an enormous gold microphone spraying out fireworks.

Other outlandish props integrated Italy’s Lucio Corsi with an oversized piano and France’s Louane being coated with falling sand.